John McCain's convention and his choice of Sarah Palin as a running mate have moved him from 18 points behind to a one-point lead over Barack Obama when voters are asked who is likely to win this year's presidential election, according to a new Rasmussen reports national telephone survey.
Seven out of 10 voters (69%) support offshore oil drilling, and even more (77%) favor tax incentives for the development of alternative energy sources, which means Congress is on track with the energy bill it is expected to pass in the next two weeks.
If elected President, 63% of voters say that John McCain is likely to reach across the aisle and work with Democrats to pass important legislation. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 51% say that Barack Obama will do the same if elected.
Call it the vice presidential battle for campaign cash. So far John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate has Republicans far more likely to give money to his campaign than Democrats responding to Barack Obama’s selection of Joseph Biden.
Seven out of 10 voters (69%) remain convinced that reporters try to help the candidate they want to win, and this year by a nearly five-to-one margin voters believe they are trying to help Barack Obama.
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is viewed favorably by 72% of voters in her home state, including 56% who hold a Very Favorable opinion of her.
Since early May, Rasmussen Markets data has shown Barack Obama as the favorite to be the next President of the United States. From the time he wrapped up the Democratic Presidential Nomination on June 3, market expectations have consistently given Obama a roughly 60% chance of victory.
A week ago, most Americans had never heard of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Now, following a Vice Presidential acceptance speech viewed live by more than 40 million people, Palin is viewed favorably by 58% of American voters.
Who is John McCain? Like any candidate, he’s more than a resume. More than a Vietnam combat pilot who served time in the infamous Hanoi Hilton, then went on to be a longtime Republican senator from Arizona.
Over half of U.S. voters (51%) think reporters are trying to hurt Sarah Palin with their news coverage, and 24% say those stories make them more likely to vote for Republican presidential candidate John McCain in November.
Last Friday, Rasmussen Reports took a first look at Barack Obama’s convention bounce. At the time, it was still quite modest but has now grown to represent a fairly typical convention bounce.
Voters by a substantial majority think a woman is likely to be elected president of the United States in the next 10 years, and nearly half (48%) think Hillary Clinton is at least somewhat likely to be the one.
Two of the most popular speakers on the first full night of the Republican National Convention are a Bush and a Democrat – First Lady Laura Bush, that is, and Senator Joseph Lieberman, according to recent Rasmussen Reports national telephone surveys.
After a long weekend of Democratic criticism of John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate, over half of voters (52%) still have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of the Alaska governor. Thirty-one percent (31%) view her very favorably.
Voters, by a 56% to 26% margin, say Barack Obama is a better potential president than the Democratic Party’s 2004 nominee, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey also found that, by a 48% to 28% margin, voters say John McCain is a better potential president than the Republican who has held the job for eight years, George W. Bush.
Less than a week ago most Americans didn’t have a clue who Sarah Palin is, but now 30% of them would rather meet her than Barack Obama or John McCain.
Sarah Palin has made a good first impression. Before being named as John McCain’s running mate, 67% of voters didn’t know enough about the Alaska governor to have an opinion. After her debut in Dayton and a rush of media coverage, a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 53% now have a favorable opinion of Palin while just 26% offer a less flattering assessment.
More voters are convinced after four days of convention-watching that Senator Joseph Biden was the right pick as Barack Obama’s running mate, but nearly a quarter still aren’t sure.
Just days after Michelle Obama addressed the Democratic National Convention, a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that her favorability ratings have reached their highest levels since tracking began and she is now viewed more favorably than Cindy McCain.
One measure of how well John McCain kept his choice of a Vice Presidential running mate secret is that 67% of voters nationwide have no opinion one way or the other about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that she is unknown to 78% of women.
